Foreign Land Ownership
Agriculture and Land Affairs Minister Lulu Xingwana said that the government welcomes open debate on the issue of foreign land ownership and that this particularly applied to the question of whether or not proposed new regulations on land ownership should be put into effect retrospectively.
She said: “We will be guided by the submissions and recommendations coming from South Africans in this regard and the matter is open to debate, but as we sit now we have a Constitution that we must respect, we have laws that we must respect.”
The minister was speaking at the release of a government-commissioned report and recommendations on the development of policy regarding land ownership by foreigners in South Africa. The panel commissioned to do the report made 10 recommendations including the possible outright prohibition on foreign ownership of South African land.
On the grounds of national interests, environmental considerations, areas of historical and cultural significance, and national security, the private ownership of land by foreigners and certain South Africans should be prohibited, the report said.
The prohibited areas should include National Key Points, coastal areas, conservation areas, land close to military installations, water catchment areas and land along borders and international boundaries.
Around three percent of residential, agricultural, farmland and sectional titles in South Africa is owned by foreigners.
This article hasn't been commented yet.